Oct 1, 2014

Microsoft has just unveiled the download links of Windows 10 Technical Preview, thus allowing everyone to give a shot to its new operating system.

The testing tidbits of Windows 10 are available via the newly-launched Windows Insider Program, so before anything else, you need to register for this program to be able to download the official builds. Then just click on "Set up a PC" and follow the on-screen instructions to get to the download links. Windows 10 Tech Preview is available for both 32- and 64-bit configurations and at this point there are several languages available, but Microsoft expects the English ISO to register the biggest number of downloads. Needless to say, Microsoft recommends users not to install Windows 10 preview unless they have the experience to cope with bugs and diagnose some issues, as the company wants to work together with testers to improve features before the stable version comes out.

General recommendations and information

Microsoft says the Windows Insider Program is exclusively aimed at IT experts and advanced users, but pretty much everyone can download the testing bits and give Windows 10 a try on their own computers. “With the Insider program, we’re inviting our most enthusiastic Windows customers to shape Windows 10 with us. We know they’re a vocal bunch – and we’re looking forward to hearing from them,” the company noted. “The Windows Insider Program is intended for PC experts and IT pros who are comfortable using pre-release software with variable quality. Insiders will receive a steady stream of early builds from us with the latest features we’re experimenting with.”

It’s also very important to note that once you install Windows 10 preview, you won’t be able to go back to your previous Windows installation, so it’s better to use a secondary PC or a new partition for this testing version of the operating system. At the same time, word is that Microsoft won’t allow preview users to upgrade to the stable version, so a fresh install when Windows 10 comes out will be mandatory. “If you want to stop using Windows Technical Preview and return to your previous version of Windows, you’ll need to reinstall your previous version from the recovery or installation media that came with your PC – typically a DVD. If you don’t have recovery media, you might be able to create a USB recovery drive,” Microsoft said in one of the leaked documents.

The 32-bit version of Windows 10 Preview has 3.16 GB in size, while the 64-bit build comes in the form of a 4.10 GB. Up to 20 GB of space would be required to deploy the operating system.